Hello Dr. Jane!

SAMPLE ACTIVITIES FOR DR. JANE’S BIOGRAPHY

Vocabulary Terms

1. Chimpanzee
2. Primates
3. Termites
4. Ethologist
5. Paleontologist
6. Behavior
7. Communities

Preparatory Questions

These questions can be used to facilitate a whole-group discussion or answered as a small-group activity. It may be helpful to use a world map or globe.

1. Where is London, England?
2. Where is the continent of Africa? Where is the country of Kenya? Where is the country of Tanzania? How far away from London do you think Kenya is?
3. Where do you live? How far away from Kenya and Tanzania do you think you live?
4. Have you heard of Dr. Jane Goodall?
5. Why is she well known?
6. Who was Dr. Louis Leakey and what research is he famous for?
7. What goal have you had to work hard for? Was the effort worth the outcome?

Reflective Journal Questions

1. Why is it important to study animals? How does it help people and the environment when we understand more about how animals act?
2. Dr. Jane is quoted as saying, “Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots and shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world.” What does this quote mean to you? What changes do you feel you can make in the world? How can you impact your local community in a positive way?
3. If you had the opportunity to study one animal, which animal would you select? Where would you go to study this animal? How do you believe studying this animal could help benefit other animals, people, or the environment?
4. Dr. Jane had to be very patient to observe and study the chimpanzees. Write about a time when you had to be very patient and wait for something. What was the benefit of your patience? What was the benefit of Dr. Jane’s patience?
5. Create a timeline of important events in Dr. Jane’s life. Why is each event significant?
6. Pick one tool you use every day. How do you use this tool? Why is this tool important? Why do you believe this tool was invented?
7. What part of Dr. Jane’s life is the most interesting to you? Why?
8. What else would you like to learn about Dr. Jane’s life?

Dr. Jane’s Bio

From a very young age, Dr. Jane loved animals and wanted to read every book she could about them. When Dr. Jane grew up, her love of animals grew and she knew she wanted to go to Africa to continue her learning. An opportunity to visit a family friend in Kenya arose, and she worked very hard as a waitress and a secretary to earn enough money to go on the trip.

There she met Dr. Louis Leakey, a famous paleontologist and anthropologist who studied human natural history. Dr. Leakey hired Dr. Jane and eventually decided that Dr. Jane should study chimpanzees in what is now Gombe National Park in the country of Tanzania.

As a woman, Dr. Jane couldn’t go study the chimpanzees by herself, so in 1960, Dr. Jane’s mother accompanied her on the trip. Each day, Dr. Jane hiked out to try to find the chimpanzees and observe their behavior. No one had studied them in the wild this way before. She documented many behaviors among the chimpanzees including eating, sleeping, and movement, as well as family relationships and social interactions. She also made notes about their emotions and personalities.

Among her observations, perhaps the greatest was insights was that chimpanzees make and use tools. Her first observation of this was of a chimpanzee using a blade of grass to “fish” termites out of a mound of dirt. Before this point, people believed only humans could make and use tools. This changed everything.

As a young scientist, the other scientists didn’t respect Dr. Jane’s work at first because she had given the chimpanzees names, and discussed their personalities which scientists at the time believed only human beings could have. Dr. Jane persisted, and eventually her point of view was accepted. Today, she is known as one of the most prominent women of science of the 20th century.

After spending nearly 30 years studying the chimpanzees in the field, Dr. Jane began traveling the world discussing chimpanzees with all kinds of audiences. During her travels, Dr. Jane soon began to realize that the number of chimpanzees around the world were quickly dwindling. She had to do something to protect them.

In 1977, Dr. Jane founded the Jane Goodall Institute to continue her research, and establish projects to partner with human communities in and around chimpanzee habitats to improve wellbeing for all. Through a people-centered approach to conservation, these communities join the Jane Goodall Institute in its mission to protect chimpanzees and secure a hopeful future for them.

Also during her travels, Dr. Jane met many young people who felt apathetic about their communities and felt that their futures had been stolen. Dr. Jane agreed, but she did not want to leave these young people with the belief that they couldn’t do anything to make the world a better place. And so, Dr. Jane started the global youth program, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots. Today with Roots & Shoots in over 50 countries, hundreds of thousands of young people are developing skills to become compassionate leaders who are engaged in the world around them and develop the behaviors and attitudes to be good stewards of the environment.

Today, Dr. Jane continues to spread her message of hope, helping every individual understand that they can make a difference in their communities.

Fun Facts About Dr. Jane:

• Dr. Jane’s real first name is Valerie.
• Dr. Jane has two favorite toys that she loves very much — Jubilee, a toy chimpanzee given to her by her father when she was three years old, and Mr. H, a toy monkey given to her by her friend Gary Hahn. (Psst: Do you know the difference between chimpanzees [great apes] and monkeys? Hint: tails!)
• Dr. Jane’s favorite animal is a dog, and her favorite movie is Disney’s Lady and the Tramp.
• Dr. Jane loves eating dark chocolate and strong coffee — both organic and fair-trade of course!